> I think your experience is extremely unlucky

You're probably right on that.

I'm in a london suburb now as well, which may also has something to do with it. I think the big difference is that there isn't anywhere where you can drive on to a 70mph road in the dark without a long merging lane.

> I do think the 20mph limits where I now live (and in some other places) seem a bit random,

I don't mind them being random so much, but what I hate is that they dont (or didn't) put repeater speed limit signs in 20mph zones. They normally put the signs on the road at junctions, where I'm looking for other dangers (pedestrians/cyclists and other cars)

So its fairly easy to either be dawdling in 30 or doing point/fine incurring speeds in a 20

I agree entirely that A roads and city roads are a LOT safer than country lanes. Easier to drive on too. I find London more stressful and harder work to drive in - it may well be safer, but its harder. I far prefer public transport in big cities and I have not driven in London for years.

The only time I have tripped a speed camera was doing 57 on an A road after missing the temporarily lower 50 limit for road works in the night.

The road I currently I find hardest is one road where the limit keeps changing. its pretty much the same all the way along (residential area, so default would be 30, but wide as its an A road or a continuation of one). It changes four or five times over a few miles.